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Sport
South Africa's excellent
climate offers boundless opportunities for spectators
and participant alike. Our population is sports-crazy,
with football (soccer), rugby and cricket attracting
the largest following. Two World Cups have been held
successfully since South Africa's re admission to international
competition, as have the Africa Cup of Nations football
tournament and the All Africa Games (athletics). The
country is short-listed to host the next but one football
World Cup.
Among the most familiar international sporting venues
are:
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Tel (011) 788 1008
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town Tel (021) 683 6420
Kingsmead, Durban Tel (031) 332 9703
Centurion Park, Pretoria Tel (012) 663 3329
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth Tel (041) 585 1646
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Tel (011) 402 8644/8
Loftus Versveld, Pretoria Tel (021) 344 4011
Newlands, Cape Town Tel (021) 686 4955
Kings Park, Durban Tel (031) 308 8400
Telkom Park, Port Elizabeth Tel (041) 583 5245
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Tel (051) 407 3581
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg Tel (011) 494 3552
The best city for cycling is Cape Town, whose annual
Cape Argus Cycle Tour around the beautiful Peninsula
attracts 30 000 cyclists along its challenging 105
km route. Cycling is not advisable in major cities
and on main roads as there are few cycle paths and
drivers are not cyclist-friendly. In the countryside
however, and along the coast, there are plenty of
opportunities for long-distance cycling and mountain-biking.
For full details, see www.sa-cycling.com
Or e mail info@sacycletours.com
South Africa has some first class canoeing and kayaking
venues and facilities. Well-known long distance endurance
races include the 'Dusi Marathon from Pietermaritzburg
to the Umgeni Mouth and the Berg River Marathon in
the Western Cape. For full details, see www.canoesa.org.za
There are 1500 species of fish to be caught off the
South African coastline and 250 species of freshwater
fish found inland.
The seawater off the Western Cape, where the Atlantic
and Indian Oceans meet contains a greater number of
game fish than anywhere else in the world. The Cape
is noted particularly for its large numbers of tuna
and swordfish. The warmer waters of KwaZulu-Natal
abound with game fish and other species incl. Kingfish
and shad. For further details, see www.fishingafrica.co.za;
www.safishing.co.za
in South Africa is probably the most inexpensive in
the world. Prime trout-fishing areas are the mountain
streams of the Western Cape, the Drakensberg foothills,
the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal,the hills of Northern
Province around Dullstroom and Lydenberg and the higher
reaches of the Eastern Cape.
For further details, see www.safishing.co.za
and www.outdoorpages.co.za
is a well-established sport in South Africa. Two ultra
distance races, the Comrades Marathon, between Durban
and Pietermaritzburg and the Two Oceans Marathon in
Cape Town draw thousands of runners, many of them
from abroad. Many other marathons and fun runs are
in held cities and towns around the country throughout
the year.
For more details, see www.athletics.org.za
and www.runnersguide.co.za
South Africa offers some of the best and cheapest
golfing to be found anywhere in the world. Many of
the country's 400 courses are set in surroundings
of great natural beauty and are of the highest international
standard.
Golfing holidays in South Africa combine the sophistication
of high-quality courses and accompanying accommodation
found in Europe and America with the unique flavour
of Africa - which can mean the occasional wild animal
straying on to the fairway on bushveld courses.
For full details, see www.golfingingsouthafrica.co.za
The South African coastline is dangerous and challenging
and a great place to learn to sail. There are sailing
schools in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Cape
Town features as a stop-over on many round-the-world
yacht races. The Cape to Rio race is one of the world's
most accessible and popular ocean-crossing races.
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